Safe Haven group is alternative to abandoning newborns

September 2, 2012|By Rafael Olmeda, Sun Sentinel

A recent report of a newborn baby boy whose body was found in a trash bin outside a Fort Lauderdale hotel broke Nick Silverio's heart.

Not just for the obvious reason, the mourning of a life cut short, but also because Silverio is a founder of A Safe Haven for Newborns, a non-profit founded specifically to provide an alternative for such acts of cruelty.

"It doesn't have to happen," said Silverio. "It's heartbreaking. And it serves as an unfortunate opportunity to promote awareness of the Safe Haven program."

Florida's Safe Haven law allows mothers of newborns to drop the child off at any hospital or 24-hour fire station within a week of the child's birth, no questions asked, no charges filed. It is, for the mother, an act of profound desperation, Silverio said, but it can also be an act of mercy for the child.

"This is a life-affirming decision," he said. It's one that 23 mothers have made in Broward County since 2000, when the law was enacted. Broward leads the state in the number of Safe Haven cases. Miami-Dade is second with 21 cases. Duval County, which includes Jacksonville, has 14 reported cases, and Palm Beach County is fourth with 13. Throughout the state, 177 newborns have been dropped off at Safe Havens since 2000.

The investigation into the death of "Baby Doe," a boy found wrapped in a pillowcase and towels outside the Fort Lauderdale Beach Palace Hotel, is continuing. The boy's mother, Alexandria Sladon-Marler, has not been charged.

Silverio noted that Safe Haven also provides assistance to expectant mothers before the children are born. The non-profit refers the women to counseling services. More than 4,000 women have sought and received some kind of assistance.

"If you're hiding your pregnancy and you don't know what to do, call us," Silverio said. "You can get help."